Slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website. See our User Agreement and Privacy Policy.

Slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website. See our Privacy Policy and User Agreement for details.

Edelman Wellness Trends to Watch

Last year, Edelman’s Wellness360 launched the Edelman Well-Being Study. The multi-generational study aimed to uncover how people define well-being, what they need to achieve well-being, the barriers they face in their well-being pursuits and the role brands play in helping consumers achieve their well-being goals.

Using the findings as a launch-point, Wellness360 conducted secondary research to further explore several behaviors that surfaced based on both the qualitative and quantitative results – stress, community, sleep, finances and personal care. This research exposed several rising wellness trends across the United States.

7.
MEDITATION NATION
The Edelman American Well-Being Study found that people prioritize mental and emotional health,
often times over the physical. Increasingly, new scientific studies illustrate both the mental and
physical benefits of meditation – and people are paying attention.
INSIGHT
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programs
exist at 70+ hospitals such as Duke
Studies show that meditation may reduce artery
blockage and the risk of heart attack and stroke
1
A pilot study in NeuroReport from Harvard suggests
meditation activates specific regions of the brain
that may influence heart and breathing rates
2
According to the National Institutes of Health, 8.0%
of U.S. adults (18 million) use meditation
3

8.
PERSONALIZED MEDICINE = PROACTIVE
HEALTH DECISION-MAKING
Consumers are recognizing the benefits of personalized medicine and are
using genetic testing to predict/prevent disease. This trend was fueled by the
media frenzy that occurred when Angelina Jolie had a proactive double
mastectomy after tests showed she carried BRCA1.
INSIGHT
According to Grand View Research, global personalized medicine market
size will reach $2,452.5 billion by 2022 from $1,007.9 billion in 2014
5
President Obama announced during his 2015 State of the Union Address that
he is launching a new “precision” or personalized medicine initiative to
advance personalized, effective therapies for the American public
6
23andMe developed the first and only genetic service where subscribers
receive an overview of their DNA through detailed reports, tools and more; as
of June 2015, they announced they have genotyped their 1,000,000th customer
According to the University of
Chicago, 66% of people would
prefer to follow a personalized
health care regimen which
considers their genetic or
biological profile4

9.
DIGITAL DETOX
A break from digital communication can refresh us, enabling us to become
more productive. This break clears our life from noise and allows us the
space to reconnect with ourselves, relax and return to the digital world
recharged.
INSIGHT
The “Be Unplugged” option at the Quincy Hotel in downtown
Washington, D.C., provides guests the ability to surrender their
laptops, tablets and smartphones at check-in
7
Daimler introduced an out-of-office auto-delete option, where
all emails that arrive in our inboxes while we’re on holiday are
automatically deleted and must be resent on our return
An estimated 13,000 people nationwide officially
pledged online to unplug on National Day of
Unplugging
8
St. Vincent and the Grenadines asked travelers to
leave their technology at home as part of their
digital-detox vacation package; included in the
package is a pre-mailed guidebook explaining
how to function on a trip without technology
9

10.
ADULT PLAY
Adults are re-exposing their inner child to create mindfulness and de-stress. Experts have found that
the practice of coloring generates wellness, quietness and also stimulates brain areas related to motor
skills, the senses and creativity.
INSIGHT
According to the Associated Press, in July 2015, eight of the top 20 books on
Amazon’s best-seller list have been adult coloring books
11
Hashtags such as #adultcoloringbook and #adultcoloring have tens of
thousands of associated images on Instagram
12
The relaxation that coloring provides lowers the activity of the
amygdala, a basic part of our brain involved in controlling emotion
that is affected by stress
10
~1 million adults sent themselves away to camp last year
13
While kids' camp attendance has declined, the number of camps for grown-
ups has swelled, totaling 800 camps – a 10% increase a year over the past
10 years
13

11.
THE QUANTIFIED SELF  COMMUNITY
We are all living by the numbers, but we are moving from tracking ourselves alone to sharing our data
and relying on one another to keep each other going.
INSIGHT
Forbes states that “long-term winners” will be companies that
create functional ecosystems and communities
16
App designers are embedding “connection” and social elements into
app tracking abilities:
• FitBit – Friends can communicate with short messages or
send each other a "Cheer" or "Taunt“
• RunKeeper – Users compare activity levels with friends.
Users motivate each other to stay active
There are 40,000 health-related smartphone apps
14
and more
than 60% of U.S. adults track their weight, diet or exercise
15

12.
SLEEP IS HEALTH
Lack of sleep can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke,
weight gain and diabetes. Three-fourths of adults whose sleep is affected
by stress or anxiety say that their sleep problems have also increased
their stress and anxiety.17
INSIGHT
According to the CDC, ~70 million Americans suffer from
chronic sleep problems
18
The National Institutes of Health states that sleeplessness
creates $16 billion in annual health care expenses and
$50 billion in lost productivity
19
75% of people said getting a full night sleep was very
important to wellbeing yet nearly 50% of people say they
aren’t getting enough sleep
20
The U.S. is the single largest market
for sleep aids such as mattresses,
sleep apnea devices, sleep
laboratories and medications with a
major share of 65.7% of the global
market21

13.
FOOD IS MEDICINE
The concept of “food as medicine” is on the rise with the intake of specific foods – and not others –
associated with helping to avoid and/or reverse chronic disease, which will account for over 50
million deaths by 2030.22
INSIGHT
Dr. Mark Hyman preaches,
“what you put at the end of
your fork is more powerful
medicine than anything you will
find at the bottom of a pill
bottle.”23
In New Orleans, the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine at Tulane University is
opening the first dedicated teaching kitchen at a medical school
24
The CIA, Harvard School of Public Health and Samueli Institute host the “Healthy
Kitchens/Healthy Lives” conference which brings together doctors, registered
dietitians and nutritionists, educators, sustainability experts and chefs to study and
share how certain foods can prevent diseases or help manage them
25

14.
VEGAN-ISH
Once veganism was widely associated with animal rights
activists, the health conscious and the religious. But now, more
and more people are dabbling with a vegan diet.
INSIGHT
According to the Vegan Society, more people are
pledging to go vegan for seven or 30 days26
36% of U.S. consumers either prefer milk
alternatives and use meat alternatives, which is
more than those who claim to be vegan27
26% of Americans said they ate less meat in the
last 12 months26
Beyonce and Jay-Z went vegan for 22 days as part
of a spiritual and physical cleanse26
New York Times columnist, Mark Bittman developed
a “Vegan Before 6” program

15.
FINANCIAL WELLNESS = HEALTH
Financial wellness across the globe has shown to be a critical factor when assessing overall health
and well-being and is closely tied to productivity, sleep and stress.
INSIGHT
A CNN study declared that money worries are the world’s
greatest cause of stress
28
82% of people said having daily/monthly financial stability is the
most important when achieving their ideal state of health and
well-being
29
92% of Americans are losing sleep over their finances
30
Companies that offer "financial wellness" programs could save
$3 for each dollar they spend
31

16.
WELLNESS WHERE YOU ARE
The market is responding to consumers pursuit of wellness by creating new
and often unexpected touch points to help people live well wherever they are.
INSIGHT
On The Road
The global wellness tourism market is worth $439 billion
32
At Work
A meta-analysis of corporate wellness studies found a 25% reduction
in absenteeism and sick leave, a 25% reduction in health costs and a
32% reduction in workers compensation and disability costs in
corporations with wellness programs
33
In the Neighborhood
Community well-being initiatives are rising, such as Blue Zones – a
well-being improvement initiative designed to make healthy choices
easier through permanent changes to environment, policy and social
networks
LAX features a farmers market; Burlington International
Airport features Evolution Yoga, where jetsetters can
relax, unwind and stretch before a long flight
Resorts such as Hilton and Marriott have added services
to their properties that include everything from yoga
classes and in-room fitness videos to locally sourced
food offerings and expanded gyms and spas

18.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU…
Reconsider your
corporate purpose
Articulate
it fully
Walk the talk
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR BUSINESS
Explore new
consumer need
states
Drive
connection &
community
Allow for
personalization
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR BRANDS